Related rabble.ca story:

A candlelight vigil in Ottawa's Beaver Pond forest on Jan. 1 marked the start of the United Nations International Year of the Forest -- and the last time people may be able to gather in its lush greenery before it's clear-cut.

Cutting down trees to make way for residential subdivisions is nothing new in Canadian cities. Private developers clear land to build homes, sometimes over residents' objections. Most cities have processes by which citizens can voice their concerns, but these often find in favour of landowners despite local, provincial, national and international statements made about protecting the natural environment.